THE “WICKED SLAVE”

17. What question arises about one’s resenting being required to bring increase to the Lord, and what case of resentment does Jesus’ parable show?

¹⁷ Does any one of us resent and take offense at the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ, now vested with royal power, requires an increase on what he commits to his slaves? Whether we are excusable for feeling that way about it is shown in the case of the slave who differed from those who got busy with their minas. We read: “But a different one came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, that I kept laid away in a cloth. You see, I was in fear of you, because you are a harsh man; you take up what you did not deposit and you reap what you did not sow.’”​—Luke 19:20, 21.

18. Why was this profitless slave not to be excused on the basis of conscience?

¹⁸ Was this different slave to be excused on the basis of conscience? No; for he was not asked to do a wrong thing, namely, put his Lord’s mina to use in making dishonest profit. Regardless of his view of his master, he was a mere slave and should have done the honest thing that his master asked him to do. If he was too lazy to work, he should have put the mina in the bank and let the bankers do the work for him. So he had a lame excuse.

19. According to what did the master answer this slave, and how?

¹⁹ His master answered and judged him according to his own excuse, for we read: “He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I judge you, wicked slave. You knew, did you, that I am a harsh man, taking up what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Hence, why is it you did not put my silver money in a bank? Then on my arrival I would have collected it with interest.’”​—Luke 19:22, 23.

The time for the holy angels that accompany Jesus Christ at his coming to execute divine vengeance upon all opposers and nonsupporters of the Messianic kingdom is getting closer. It will begin before the battle of Har–Magedon.

25. (a) Why will the execution of divine vengeance begin before the battle of Har–Mageddon? (b) What will it then mean for us if, as professed Christians, we are found like that “wicked slave”?

²⁵ It will begin with the destruction of religious Babylon the Great at the outbreak of the “great tribulation” pictured by the siege and destruction of Jerusalem back there in 70 C.E. (Rev. 17:1-16; Matt. 24:15-22) Woe betide us then if we belong to that class of professed Christians pictured by the “wicked slave” who saved his mina in a cloth only to lose it eventually! It will signify everlasting destruction for us in the “great tribulation” along with the King’s “enemies.”